1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image-forming apparatus having a cutting device for cutting a sheet printing medium and a cutting method for cutting a sheet member in the image-forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an image-forming apparatus, such as a plotter or a printer, using a roll or a large-sized sheet printing medium, after it is printed thereon, the sheet printing medium is cut into an arbitrary size as needed. Examples of such cutting devices include a device having a carriage and a cutter unit engaged with the carriage as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-198989 and a device having a blade movable in the cutting direction independently from the carriage.
Examples of such a large-sized sheet printing media include, in addition to ordinary paper, coated paper, in which a surface of the paper is coated with an ink-penetrative material such as calcium carbonate and alumina, cloth coated with a similar material, and a polyester film (these will be referred to below as sheet members).
However, a conventional cutting device of the image-forming apparatus has problems in cutting a sheet member as follows.
That is, by the cutting impact, dust is produced in the case of paper and coating dust is generated in the case of coated paper. In a film, a surface layer may be delaminated therefrom so as to fly in all directions. If these fine particles or fine pieces (referred to below as fine particles) adhere on a printing region of the sheet member, degradation of an image may result. If the fine particles attach to a nozzle of an ink-ejection head, ink non-ejection or a malfunction of the head may result.
In view of the situation described above, the present invention has been made and it is an object thereof to provide an image-forming apparatus capable of preventing fine particles due to cutting of a sheet member.
Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.